Aligning capital needs to investment types
By the Energy Catalyst team
The Energy Catalyst Accelerator Programme (ECAP) accelerates the innovation needed to end energy poverty and improve lives across Africa and Asia. Since its establishment, ECAP has provided business acceleration support, including advisory support—to over one hundred innovative companies in the energy sector. In supporting these companies, we have observed that successful fundraising depends on aligning a company’s capital needs to the right type of investment and suitable investor.
Based on this experience, we are sharing some key insights about the process as well as some general top tips for fundraising.
The role of energy storage in achieving SDG7: An innovation showcase
Author: Ankur Agarwal, Energy Expert, Energy Catalyst
As the global energy market looks to transition away from fossil fuels, towards renewable sources of energy there is a pressing need for energy storage. Accelerating the development and commercialisation of a portfolio of energy storage technologies, based on a range of chemistries, technologies and new system integration methods will be necessary to meet the different requirements and deployment scales.
This report presents an overview of the energy storage market, and in particular its relevance to energy access, highlighting the importance of and challenges to scaling energy storage in this sector. The report also highlights a selection of energy storage innovation projects supported by Energy Catalyst and presents relevant learnings and insights.
Digital transformation to support last mile distribution: overcoming barriers together
Authors: Energy Catalyst & Global Distributors Collective
Last mile distributors play a crucial role in providing access to energy and other life-changing services to unserved customers. Digitalisation is key to enabling these companies to operate efficiently on a larger scale. Energy Catalyst and Global Distributors Collective have joined forces to explore how digital solution providers (DSPs) and Last Mile Distributors (LMDs) can better understand and respond to each other’s requirements. ‘Digital transformation to support last mile distribution: overcoming barriers together’ connects the two worlds of DSPs and LMDs to accelerate the digitalisation of the sector. The report focuses on building bridges in five particular areas: industry visibility, digital readiness, financing IT, software interoperability, and replicability across countries. Read the report here.
Energizing Finance: Interview with Damilola Ogunbiyi
Author: Damilola Ogunbiyi
Why catalyzing innovation is needed to power Africa
Author: Nicola Lazenby
According to the newest data, sub-Saharan Africa will be where the UN goal of universal energy access by 2030 (SDG7) either fails or succeeds. To understand why innovation is a key part of the solution, ESI Africa spoke with Nicola Lazenby, who leads the Energy Catalyst Programme at Innovate UK, which aims to accelerate energy access innovation. Read the article here
Lessons from the Frontline: Navigating the Nigeria market
Author: Alistair Gordon
Nigeria’s off-grid solar pay as you go (PAYGo) market has experienced rapid growth over recent years. Alistair Gordon, Lumos Global CEO discusses the company’s business model, pay-as-you-go partnership with MTN Nigeria, and the plans ahead to deliver off-grid power to one million Nigerian homes. Watch the webinar here
Lessons from the Frontline: Last Mile Distribution and Understanding the Rural Consumer
Author: Emma Colenbrander
As part of the Energy Access Innovator peer-to-peer learning series brought to you by Innovate UK programme Energy Catalyst , Emma Colenbrander, head of the Global Distributors Collective (GDC), made up of over 200 last-mile distributors, talks about the last-mile distribution market, distribution innovation, and the evolving needs of last-mile consumers. Watch the webinar here
Global-local model and the circular economy
Author: Carlton Cummins
Aceleron’s co-founder Carlton Cummins talks about company’s global-local model and the circular economy in an interview with William Brent from Power For All for ESI Africa during the 2020 Digital Energy Festival. Watch the fireside chat here
The Future of Decentralized Energy in India: Staying Relevant in a “Post-Access” Market
Authors: Piyush Mathur & Vijay Bhaskar
This new online conversation featured two incredible industry leaders: Simpa Networks’ former CEO Piyush Mathur and Hamara Grid’s Managing Director Vijay Bhaskar (both board members of CLEAN) who took questions and discussed the future of private decentralized renewable energy companies in India. Watch the discussion here
Finding a foothold in the Nigerian solar market
Author: Alistair Gordon
Nigeria’s off-grid solar pay as you go (PAYGo) market has experienced rapid growth over recent years. Alistair Gordon, Lumos Global CEO shares insights about the company’s business model, pay-as-you-go partnership with MTN Nigeria, and the plans ahead to deliver off-grid power to one million Nigerian homes. Read the article here
Scaling up local clean energy access in Africa and India
Author: Theresa Smith
UK-based Charm Impact, the only crowdsourcing platform to focus exclusively on the earliest stage of the energy access market in emerging economies, today announced a successful equity raise of nearly £300,000, nearly tripling its original target. Charm Impact loans are dedicated to supporting local enterprises and an investment lens for gender diversity. Read the article here
This initiative looks to help young entrepreneurs power Africa with green energy projects
Author: Gavriel Landau
There are numerous challenges on the continent when it comes to the energy sector. Experts have stated that by choosing to invest in clean energy solutions, the continent can tap into the existing resources. UK-based Charm Impact, the only crowdsourcing platform to focus exclusively on the earliest stage of the energy access market in emerging economies, announced a successful equity raise of nearly £300,000, nearly tripling its original target. Watch the broadcast here
AFRICA: Charm Impact obtains funds to finance access to green energy
Author: Jean Marie Takouleu
The Charm Impact investment platform has just raised £273,520 (nearly $356,000) to finance projects led by small providers of clean energy access solutions. The platform is active in Africa and Asia. Read the article here
Charm Impact obtains funds to finance access to green energy in Africa, Asia
Author: Jean Marie Takouleu
UK-based Charm Impact, recently announced a successful equity raise of nearly £300,000, nearly tripling its original target. Charm Impact loans are dedicated to supporting local enterprises and an investment lens for gender diversity. Read the article here
Scaling up current innovations to meet the energy demand
Author: Nicola Lazenby
Over the past decade, tens of millions of people across Africa and Asia have gained access to electricity and cleaner cooking for the first time, in large part due to technology and business model innovation. But more of these new types of innovation are still required if energy poverty can be eradicated by 2030. A recent fireside chat by ESI Africa with Dr Nicola Lazenby, Project Director at the Energy Catalyst programme at Innovate UK sheds light on achieving this goal. Watch the fireside chat here
Is an Amazon for Africa’s “energy poor” in the making?
Author: Emma Colenbrander
A majority of consumers in Africa still live off the grid, in what are commonly called “last-mile” communities. Reaching these more than 600 million consumers — who live without access to energy and many other essential products and services — is a massive business opportunity, thanks to digital and other innovations. Emma Colenbrander, Head of The Global Distributors Collective (GDC) shares exciting areas of innovation and new market opportunities for last-mile distributors to deliver energy access. Read the article here